02 February 2009

A night like this, forty million years ago

Inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Boneyard and Restaurantsaurus fans of background music are treated to a special treat. The background loop for these areas is comprised entirely of dinosaur, caveman, and extinction songs. Across the way at The Dino Institute, instrumental musical of the sort found throughout Walt Disney World keeps the atmosphere mellow. The specific music surrounding The Dino Institute comes from the Dinosaur film score. Yet, where research assistants reign supreme the music has a bit more life to it.

Artists such as R.E.M., Raffi, and Was (Not Was) are all present and accounted for with songs entitled It’s the End of the World (As We Know It), If I Had a Dinosaur, and Walk the Dinosaur. My own personal favorite tune to hear while diggin’ in Dinoland is Jonanthan Richman & The Modern Lovers’ I’m A Little Dinosaur. A majority of the songs come from Barnes And Barnes aptly named album The Dinosaur Album, which is filled with tunes like Ugga Bugga, The Dinosaur Dance, They’re All Gone, and Sweet Dinosaur of Mine, all of which can be heard in either Dinoland or on the iTunes available album. All of these songs build a more laidback and festive atmosphere, and are definitely indicative of the eclectic collections of college students’ music.

Giving the students a radio station may have been a mistake, but it makes for some great listening. So, the next time you have sweat beading on your brow from excavating a mammoth in Dinoland U.S.A., be sure to tune into station W-DIG for humor that is sure to tickle your funny bone and songs of extinction.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Ryan,

This particular loop has been the subject of many threads in the Disney music bulletin board / forum world; although many of the songs can be purchased on the album you mentioned some aren't on the disc. Here's one track listing that could help your readers locate these if they're interested.

All the best,
Richard

1. 0'0" -- Dancing with the Dinosaur, Steven Curtis Chapman, "Heaven in the Real World", 1994
2. 4'45" -- Ugga Bugga, Bronto Bruce (Robert Haimer and Bill Mumy), "The Dinosaur Album - A Musical Adventure Through The Jurassic Age", 1993
3. 9'00" -- I'm a Little Dinosaur, Jonathan Richman, "The Beserkley Years: The Best Of Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers", 1986
4. 10'58" -- Watch Out, The Nervous Nanosauruses (Harold Bronson, Robert Haimer and Bill Mumy), "The Dinosaur Album - A Musical Adventure Through The Jurassic Age", 1993
5. 14'0" -- If I Had a Dinosaur, Raffi, "More Singable Songs", 1977
6. 15'07" -- It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), R.E.M., "Eponymous", 1988
7. 19'15" -- Sweet Dinosaur of Mine, Daddy Drypto (Robert Haimer and Bill Mumy), "The Dinosaur Album - A Musical Adventure Through The Jurassic Age", 1993
8. 22'34" -- Diggin' In Dinoland, Tish Eastman, "Walt Disney World Resort: The Official Album", 1999
9. 25'20" -- Brontosaurus, The Move (Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne), "Looking On", 1970
10. 29'58" -- Walk The Dinosaur, Was (Not Was), "What Up, Dog?", 1988
11. 33'38" -- Godzilla, Blue Oyster Cult, "Spectres", 1977
12. 37'20" -- Bad to the Bone, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, "George Thorogood and the Destroyers", 1982
13. 42'17" -- Grazin' in the Grass (Is a Gas - Baby Can You Dig It?), The Friends of Distinction, "Grazin'", 1969