Everybody Wants To Be a Cat - The Aristocats. (2013, March 3). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.thelivecat.com/everybody-wants-to-be-a-cat-the-aristocats/
The aristocats (1970)
Background information
THE ARTISTOCATS movie summary
"Retired madame Adelaide Bonfamille enjoys the good life in her Paris villa with even classier cat Duchess and three kittens: pianist Berlioz, painter Toulouse and sanctimonious Marie. When loyal butler Edgar overhears her will leaves everything to the cats until their death, he drugs and kidnaps them. However retired army dogs make his sidecar capsize on the country. Crafty stray cat Thomas O'Malley takes them under his wing back to Paris. Edgar tries to cover his tracks and catch them at return, but more animals turn on him, from the cart horse Frou-Frou to the tame mouse Roquefort and O'Malley's jazz friends." (Vissers, N/A)
song analysis
"Thomas O'Malley Cat"
The Aristocats: Thomas O'Malley. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRET1vsfiJM
Analysis
- Instruments used - bass, flute, drums, trumpet, trombone, bassoon
- The character starts to sing before the background music started
- constant rhythm
- Tempo stays constant
- The male singer sings with a low voice while the background is playing high notes
- Dialogue in-between
- What is the song about - introduces us to one of the main character Thomas O'Malley Cat. It tells us how he has traveled all around Europe hence the multiple names from different places in Europe.
- what is happening in the scene - Thomas O'Malley Cat is meets Duchess and the kittens and is giving poetic compliments.
"Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat"
Everybody Wants to Be A Cat. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7fF_loQEcw
Analysis
Analysis
- tempo - a medium constant tempo to a fast up tempo beat at the end
- Similar lyrics throughout the entire song.
- Instruments used - guitar, bass, drums , piano, trombone, trumpet, saxophone, accordion, glockenspiel
- Background music starts during dialogue
- Instrumental solo in between
- highly influenced by swing music
- Rhythm throughout the song is constant by the bass
- Lyric - 31 lines
- General message of the song - everybody wants to become a cat because they can sing and they know how to relax and enjoy their time.
- Notable lyrics - Everybody wants to be a cat, because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at
- What is happening in the scene - In this scene Thomas O'maley is introducing Duchess and the kittens to his friend, there they sing and play jazz music celebrating the life as a cat.
"Scales and Arpeggios"
Scales and Arpeggios The Aristocats ENG. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khvaIwonx
Analysis
Analysis
- Instruments used - piano
- High notes to represent a child singing
- Constant tempo
- A cheery song
- Rhythm is kept constant as well
- Lyric - 29 lines
- General message of the song/what is the song about - in order to sing or play music you must know the scale and the arpeggios
- Notable line - Do mi so do do so mi do, Ev'ry truly cultured music student knows, You must learn your scales And your arpeggios
Musical style popular at the time
"The 1970's served as a bridge between the seriousness of the music that came out of the late sixties and the excessiveness of music from the 1980's. Disco became one of the biggest and most despised trends in music during the decade. It was so pervasive that many established singers and bands came out with disco songs to keep up with the trends, including rockers like Blondie and Rod Stewart. Heavier rock music and punk rock also emerged during the decade, some of it as a retaliation to disco." (unknown, 2004)
Top 10 Decade Defining Musical Acts: 1970s. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIFFI53AUOo
Was the music style popular at the time present in the movie?
No, the music style is reflecting the type of music that was popular in the 60's. Based on the knowledge that the movie came out in 1970 exactly, the movie was produced during the late 1960's. If we were to look at It in that sense the music style in present. The music style present is jazz and swing music.
Top 10 Decade Defining Musical Acts: 1960s. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqteKtgxBWw
ROLE OF MUSIC IN THE MOVIE
Culture and settingMany singers in this movie have used french accents for their characters, This is mainly because the story is set in France so in order to translate where the movie is set it was very important for them to do so. This means Music has a very significant attachment to the setting and or culture surrounding the characters. In order to make it understandable where the story is set the composers has to also take in considerations the setting. This could have influenced the use of some specific instruments. For example the clarinet used in the song "Everybody wants to be a cat" gave the song a french feel to it.
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The Great Catsby trailer (The Great Gatsby x The Aristocats). (2013, May 17). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.themashupradio.com/movie-explore/the-great-catsby-trailer-the-great-gatsby-x-the-aristocats/
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