EPCOT Songs Disappearing

[Coaster Lover]

Well, I guess disappearing is the wrong word as most of them have already disappeared. I was listening to some of my old Disney CDs when it really dawned on me that almost every major EPCOT attraction had a unique song (not just an instrumental piece, but a song with words), but they have been slowly removing those songs over the years to the dismay of my childhood.

Universe of Energy: "Energy (You Make the World Go Round)" and "Universe of Energy"
Horizons: "New Horizons"
Space Ship Earth: "Tomorrow's Child"
Living with the Land: "Listen to the Land"
Journey Into Imagination: "One Little Spark" (which is still around in some sense)
Magic Journeys: "Makin' Memories" (as the pre-show), as for the rest of the show, the whole thing was really sung... and a bit trippy
World of Motion: "Fun to Be Free"

Not to mention Kitchen Kabaret and The American Adventure. There were certainly some attractions/areas without original songs (Living Sea, Wonders' of Life pavilion), but they were by far in the minority. It was a trend started in the Magic Kingdom (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Small World, Country Bear Jamboree, Tiki Room, etc), but really exploded at EPCOT. By the time Hollywood Studios opened, I don't believe their was a single attraction at that park that opened with an original song.

Music still plays a big role in the parks attractions (I'd argue Soarin' wouldn't be half the attraction it is without that amazing score), but most all of the music has gone solely instrumental and, for me at least, it's a bit disappointing. Granted, all of the songs from EPCOT were very dated and very 80s, so it was time for them to go, but they could have at least done updates for SOME of the songs and kept them around (like they did to the Electric Light Parade theme when they made the Paint the Night Parade at HKDL).

Thoughts?

 

[sshindel]

The musical score at EPCOT Center was one of the things that really made each attraction feel "grand" for a lack of a better word. They conveyed the message of the pavilion, the emotion that the attraction wanted to convey, and were integral parts of the experience.

"Fun to be Free" was a lighthearted little ditty that complimented World of Motion perfectly, reminding us that not only was transportation necessary for forward progress, but it could be entertaining while doing so.

"Listen to the Land" spoke of the harmony that we had (and needed to have) with the Earth.

"Tomorrow's Child" not only conveyed the message of the pavilion, but being at the entrance of the park, it conveyed the mission of the entire Future World section, and of EPCOT in general.

Female: Tomorrow's child
Children: Tomorrow's child
Female: Gathering gifts from our past
Tomorrow's child
Children: Tomorrow's child
Female: Shaping a world that will last
Holding the spark
As we embark
On a great journey
Together we're learning to
Reach for hope and desire
Building a world to inspire

Tomorrow's child
Tomorrow's child
Charting a brand new way
For the Future World is
All: Born today!
Children: Born today

and "One Little Spark"? Sherman Brothers magic. It told the importance of Imagination in building the world of the future. It is what made the pavilion the cornerstone of all of Future World.

We all have sparks
Imaginations
That's how our minds create creations

Oh they can make
Our wildest dreams come true
Those little sparks
In me and you

Music and songs help make the emotional connection between the experience of the attraction itself and the message it is meant to convey. By losing the idea of unique songs in Epcot, the emotional tie to a lot of the pavilions has been lost as well. Sure, maybe a few should have been replaced or updated, but the fact that they chose to lose them instead of replacing them has lost something that was special about the park itself.

 

[216bruce]

My only guess on the elimination or absence of them is that someone decided that tastes have changed musically or that having a song didn't add to the attraction. I loved just about all of them, but I think a lot of folks would find them schmaltzy or hokey today.
Could they be considered timeless like the ones in MK? I think "One Little Spark" sure was. We still have the old EPCOT album on vinyl. Nothing to play it on but it's just a great keepsake.

 

[Otterhead]

They've kept some of those songs on in other formats. "One Little Spark" is still very much featured in the Imagination ride and the Energy song is, at least, quoted. But many of the others are indeed very dated. The one that I really miss is "Living with the Land"; that ride could use better music. I'm glad that the newer attractions have featured music as a big part of the show -- Nemo features "Big Blue World" from the musical, and Test Track's terrific soundtrack was specifically created to sound like classic Epcot music.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

The musical scores absolutely added to the attractions. They set the stage of what was to come, even if just subconsciously. If you took the time to listen, they'd build the excitement and add to the immersion.

Part of the overall downfall of EPCOT Center, if you ask me. Remember the big "If you can dream it, you can do it" theme?

 

[Otterhead]

I'm not sure how no longer featuring songs from attractions that don't exist portends the "downfall of Epcot". I'm pretty sure they still use Tomorrow's Child in some contexts, and the musical tapestry of the park itself is unchanged, which I'm always happy about.

 

[TubaGeek]

What a great idea for a thread. Theme park music is one of the biggest nostalgia triggers for me. I may refuse to go to the parks anymore, but I still love listening to the music.

 

[Mukta]

The current music on LWTL is my second favorite music in Epcot, (Innoventions Loop being the first). I have looked for the full song everywhere, but I have had no luck.

I still think instrumental music is what Epcot does best. Pre-Illuminations loop, Innoventions loops, etc.

 

[sshindel]

The current music on LWTL is my second favorite music in Epcot, (Innoventions Loop being the first). I have looked for the full song everywhere, but I have had no luck.

I still think instrumental music is what Epcot does best. Pre-Illuminations loop, Innoventions loops, etc.

http://www.epcotlegacy.com/fwss-land

edit: I don't know if they have the current LWTL music, as I have basically only downloaded the classic attraction music from this site. What they have though is the highest of qualities.

 

[Mukta]

http://www.epcotlegacy.com/fwss-land

edit: I don't know if they have the current LWTL music, as I have basically only downloaded the classic attraction music from this site. What they have though is the highest of qualities.

Just downloaded that, but it still doesn't have the one I am looking for. Thanks for trying!

 

[sshindel]

Just downloaded that, but it still doesn't have the one I am looking for. Thanks for trying!

Sorry they didn't have it. Out of all of the pavilions they released, I've only downloaded the "Disc 1" versions, because I'm only looking for the classic attraction soundtracks.
The Land's one is in heavy rotation for me, as both "Listen to the Land" and all of Kitchen Kabaret are on there.

For anyone else looking to check out some of the original music, the site I linked is amazing.
http://www.epcotlegacy.com/music/

Their JII is the cleanest I've ever heard, I think he got it off the original soundboard.

 

[Figments Friend]

Marty Sklar, as well as other long-timers at WED-WDI have commented on this topic several times in the past.

It was realized at the time when EPCOT Center was being developed in the 70s that the importance of including a appealing *theme song* for a Attraction experience seemed to have been forgotten about.
There was a whole slew of catchy songs associated with Attractions in the 60s out at Disneyland, such as *Carousel of Progress*, *POTC*, *The Enchanted Tiki Room*...and even the humble Peoplemover had a theme song to aid in their entertainment value.
By the time the 70s came around, that tradition of including a song had been put on the shelf so to speak.
Most of the flagship Attractions that were developed and opened at that time (BTMR, Space Mountain, etc.) did not have that aspect to them.


Some at WED-WDI felt it was time to resurrect that tradition for the EPCOT project.
The roster of planned Pavilions could use a tune as a tool to drive home the subject matter in a more entertaining way, helping to avoid a heavy-handed presentation of such diverse topics as food production and energy consumption.
It was felt EPCOT Center could benefit greatly from such a musical approach, especially since the subject matter for the Park was in tone more *serious* then the fantasy Kingdoms typical experiences.
A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down in a most delightful way, indeed.

So Robert Moline was contacted and asked to come up with a series of tunes for each of the Future World Pavilions, as well as a few of the World Showcase Pavilions.
Almost all the songs most longtime EPCOT Center fans associate closely with the Park Pavilions were written and in some cases sung by him.

Robert also wrote the original tune that was going to be used for the Imagination Pavilion until it was decided something else was needed to diversify the songs.
The Sherman Brothers offered up the marvelous *One Little Spark*, and the rest is history.
Robert*s version is still quite nice however.
Hear for yourself -



The song additions worked...and became a important and memorable part of the overall EPCOT Center experience back in the day.
The pinnacle was when *Horizons* opened in the Autumn of 1983, when the stunning score and inspirational song * New Horizons* was added to the collection.

 

[sshindel]

Was just going to bring this up. The Shermans also ended up marathon writing quite a bit to add to Robert's work. Marty talks about it in his book, I believe.

*anywho* let's listen to the land we all love, nature's plan from up above, let's listen to the laaaaand, let's listen to the landddd.

I'll be over here humming.

and I just queued it up on my headphones.

when springtime comes
how can you tell
the air is always filled with orange blossom smell
come summertime the warmest sunshine
and the world is full of flowers and good melon rinds
Let's listen to the land we all love,
nature's plan will shine above
listen to the laaaaaaaand, listen to the land

 

[Figments Friend]

I think Mr. Moline would be rather warmed by the thought that 30+ years later, fans young and old are still appreciating his music.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

While lyrical songs seem to have vanished music scores seem to have more of an impact in Todays Epcot...The majority of songs used in the Entrance loop are used within the attractions..

 

[sshindel]

While lyrical songs seem to have vanished music scores seem to have more of an impact in Todays Epcot...The majority of songs used in the Entrance loop are used within the attractions..

That's interesting. Right now, I'm having a hard time pinpointing a single song from today's Epcot. Ok, aside from the Blue World song. I have an admitted massive bias to original Epcot though (was just listening to "Energy, you make the world go 'round"), so I don't pay a ton of attention when I'm there.

 

[Otterhead]

I'm really wishing I could find a recording of the full Test Track 2.0 loop. There's a small snippet on the official Epcot album, but the full track's pretty great.

 

[Bob]

I'm really wishing I could find a recording of the full Test Track 2.0 loop. There's a small snippet on the official Epcot album, but the full track's pretty great.

Have you checked out D-Cot?

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I'm really wishing I could find a recording of the full Test Track 2.0 loop. There's a small snippet on the official Epcot album, but the full track's pretty great.

How's This?

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

That's interesting. Right now, I'm having a hard time pinpointing a single song from today's Epcot. Ok, aside from the Blue World song. I have an admitted massive bias to original Epcot though (was just listening to "Energy, you make the world go 'round"), so I don't pay a ton of attention when I'm there.

Well they are there....What Plays in this loop...


Can be heard in the attraction or Pavillion..
Soarin Score


Imagination Institute Theme


Living Seas Theme


Ellen's Energy Theme..


However...Only one attraction does have a song..Destiny from Mission Space....And many consider it the WORST Song ever for a Disney Attraction..