Baby Elephant Walk
Encyclopedia
"Baby Elephant Walk" is a piece of music written in 1961 by composer
Henry Mancini
, for the 1962 release of the movie
Hatari!
The composer combines brass instrument
s (including repeated blasts from the tuba
) and woodwind
elements to convey the sense of a toddler that is large and plodding, but nonetheless filled with the exuberance of youth. The catchy, jazz
y simplicity of the tune has made it one of Mancini's most popular works, prompting its appearance on nearly twenty later compilation and best of/greatest hits albums. As the [ allmusic.com album review] states, "if Hatari! is memorable for anything, it's for the incredibly goofy 'Baby Elephant Walk,' which has gone on to be musical shorthand for kookiness of any stripe. Get this tune in your head and it sticks." Hal David
reportedly composed lyrics to Mancini's tune, which were never used.
In 1963 brazilian pré-Jovem Guarda group Trio Esperança
recorded a vocal version of this song, titled "O Passo do Elefantinho", with lyrics written by Ruth Blanco. This version was a great hit in national radio executions in Brazil. But the original song by Henry Mancini is popularly recognized by common brazilian listeners as the brazilian version title.
The cheerful tone, like that of Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme", presents a stark contrast to more melancholy Mancini standards such as "Moon River
". Due to its "goofy" sound, it is often used in a humorous context, as in an episode of The Critic
. It was also covered by a number of performers in the 1960s, including The Fabulous Echoes on their LP album Those Fabulous Echoes with the Hong Kong
-based Diamond Records in 1963 and Bill Haley & His Comets
who recorded a version for Orfeon Records
in 1964. It was the closing song at the end of The Lemonwheel, the August 1998 music festival that ended the summer tour of jamband Phish
. Mancini's version was not released as a single. The Billboard Top 100 singles were Lawrence Welk, and the Miniature Men.
The Nickelodeon
animated series The Angry Beavers
features a sped-up version of "Baby Elephant Walk" for the show's end credits. The first few notes were used at the start of play in the video game Crazy Climber
. The tune is commonly heard throughout Philadelphia Phillies
games at Citizens Bank Park. In The Simpsons
it is used by Homer Simpson
in the season 2 episode Dancin' Homer
where he dances as a mascot for the Springfield Isotopes baseball
team. During an episode of Minor Adjustments
, Darcy (Sara Rue
) observes that the cadence of the song allows one to hum it while watching.
During an episode of Friends, we gain an insight into what each member of the cast is thinking, in which Joey is crudely humming.
The song is currently used as the theme for the character The Virus, played by senior producer Erik "E-Rock" Nagel, on the Opie and Anthony
show. The song serves as the musical bed for The Virus as he attempts futilely to come up with just one punchline, hilarity ensues because he is, admittedly, "not very good at this."
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
covered the song as "Tiny Elephant Parade" on their 1990 album "Ska Para Toujou"
A reference to the song "Baby Elephant Walk" is made by the author Claire Welch in her book "The Little Book of Abba," published by Green Umbrella Publishing 2007. Referring to Benny Andersson of the (later) pop group ABBA she wrote: "Benny and Christina joined the Electricity Board Folk Music Group in 1964 where the music consisted mainly of instrumentals including the number "Baby Elephant Walk" written by Benny".
Whether the author (Claire) meant that Benny had written entirely new music to that of Mancini or some arrangement of the Mancini original is not stated in her book. Interestingly it is only about 3 years after Mancini wrote it.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
, for the 1962 release of the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Hatari!
Hatari!
Hatari! is a 1962 American film directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne. The title means "danger" in Swahili, which was mentioned in the film as well...
The composer combines brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
s (including repeated blasts from the tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
) and woodwind
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
elements to convey the sense of a toddler that is large and plodding, but nonetheless filled with the exuberance of youth. The catchy, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
y simplicity of the tune has made it one of Mancini's most popular works, prompting its appearance on nearly twenty later compilation and best of/greatest hits albums. As the [ allmusic.com album review] states, "if Hatari! is memorable for anything, it's for the incredibly goofy 'Baby Elephant Walk,' which has gone on to be musical shorthand for kookiness of any stripe. Get this tune in your head and it sticks." Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
reportedly composed lyrics to Mancini's tune, which were never used.
In 1963 brazilian pré-Jovem Guarda group Trio Esperança
Trio Esperança
Trio Esperança is a Brazilian vocal trio, formed in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1958, by the siblings Mário, Regina and Evinha Correia José Maria...
recorded a vocal version of this song, titled "O Passo do Elefantinho", with lyrics written by Ruth Blanco. This version was a great hit in national radio executions in Brazil. But the original song by Henry Mancini is popularly recognized by common brazilian listeners as the brazilian version title.
The cheerful tone, like that of Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme", presents a stark contrast to more melancholy Mancini standards such as "Moon River
Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists...
". Due to its "goofy" sound, it is often used in a humorous context, as in an episode of The Critic
The Critic
The Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz. It was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, both of whom had worked as writers on The Simpsons. The Critic had 23 episodes produced, first broadcast on ABC in 1994,...
. It was also covered by a number of performers in the 1960s, including The Fabulous Echoes on their LP album Those Fabulous Echoes with the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based Diamond Records in 1963 and Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
who recorded a version for Orfeon Records
Orfeon Records
Orfeon Records was a Turkish producer of phonographs and gramophone records. The first record company in Turkey, it was founded by the Blumenthal Family in 1912. The company was based in Constantinople and was actively producing records up until 1924 when it was purchased by Columbia Records...
in 1964. It was the closing song at the end of The Lemonwheel, the August 1998 music festival that ended the summer tour of jamband Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
. Mancini's version was not released as a single. The Billboard Top 100 singles were Lawrence Welk, and the Miniature Men.
The Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
animated series The Angry Beavers
The Angry Beavers
The Angry Beavers is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for the Nickelodeon channel. The series revolves around Daggett and Norbert Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have left their home to become bachelors in the forest near Wayouttatown, Oregon. The show premiered...
features a sped-up version of "Baby Elephant Walk" for the show's end credits. The first few notes were used at the start of play in the video game Crazy Climber
Crazy Climber
is a coin-operated arcade game produced by Nichibutsu in 1980. It was also released in North America by Taito America Corporation by UA Ltd. in 1982 for the Emerson Arcadia 2001 and other video game consoles. It is one of Nichibutsu's most highly-acclaimed video games in its library...
. The tune is commonly heard throughout Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
games at Citizens Bank Park. In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
it is used by Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
in the season 2 episode Dancin' Homer
Dancin' Homer
"Dancin' Homer" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 8, 1990. In the episode, Homer fires up the crowd at a Springfield Isotopes baseball game and is chosen to be the team's new mascot. He immediately becomes a...
where he dances as a mascot for the Springfield Isotopes baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. During an episode of Minor Adjustments
Minor Adjustments
Minor Adjustments is an American television sitcom that appeared on the NBC network in the United States during the 1995–96 season. The show was then transferred to UPN to be rebroadcast during the 1996-1997 season.-Synopsis:...
, Darcy (Sara Rue
Sara Rue
Sara Rue is an American television actress. She is best known for the roles she played as Carmen Ferrara on the comedy-drama Popular and Claude Casey on the sitcom Less Than Perfect. She is also known as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig...
) observes that the cadence of the song allows one to hum it while watching.
During an episode of Friends, we gain an insight into what each member of the cast is thinking, in which Joey is crudely humming.
The song is currently used as the theme for the character The Virus, played by senior producer Erik "E-Rock" Nagel, on the Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
show. The song serves as the musical bed for The Virus as he attempts futilely to come up with just one punchline, hilarity ensues because he is, admittedly, "not very good at this."
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
, commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band officially formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene...
covered the song as "Tiny Elephant Parade" on their 1990 album "Ska Para Toujou"
A reference to the song "Baby Elephant Walk" is made by the author Claire Welch in her book "The Little Book of Abba," published by Green Umbrella Publishing 2007. Referring to Benny Andersson of the (later) pop group ABBA she wrote: "Benny and Christina joined the Electricity Board Folk Music Group in 1964 where the music consisted mainly of instrumentals including the number "Baby Elephant Walk" written by Benny".
Whether the author (Claire) meant that Benny had written entirely new music to that of Mancini or some arrangement of the Mancini original is not stated in her book. Interestingly it is only about 3 years after Mancini wrote it.