The Glorious Fourth
Encyclopedia
"The Glorious Fourth" is a song written by Richard M. Sherman
and Robert B. Sherman
in 1974 for the then-upcoming American Bicentennial. Disneyland temporarily changed its "Main Street Electrical Parade
" to "America on Parade
" and featured the Sherman Brothers' song "The Glorious Fourth". The revamped parade featured nightly fireworks and ran twice a day from 1975-1977.
from 1960 until his death in 1966. Becoming disenchanted with the studio, the brother team left in 1968 working on a myriad of film and stage projects for various producers and studios. They returned briefly to finish work on The Aristocats
and Bedknobs and Broomsticks
for which they received two Academy Award nominations (for the latter film).
1974 also marked the return of the Shermans to Disney to write "The Best Time Of Your Life
" which was a replacement song for the General Electric
pavilion's "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
" featured in America Sings
at Disneyland and Disneyworld. In 1974 the Shermans additionally enjoyed the release of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!
, the third Winnie the Pooh featurette to feature their songs.
Outside of Disney, the Shermans also saw the release of Huckleberry Finn
(MGM/UA) for which they authored both the songs and the screenplay
as well as a hit Broadway
musical, Over Here!
starring the Andrews Sisters and John Travolta
. The Shermans' song "You're Sixteen
" (sung by former Beatle, Ringo Starr
) reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100
list all in that same historic year.
Richard M. Sherman
Richard Morton Sherman is an American songwriter who specializes in musical film with his brother Robert Bernard Sherman....
and Robert B. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman
Robert Bernard Sherman is an American songwriter who specializes in musical films with his brother Richard Morton Sherman...
in 1974 for the then-upcoming American Bicentennial. Disneyland temporarily changed its "Main Street Electrical Parade
Main Street Electrical Parade
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a regularly scheduled parade, created by Bob Jani and project director Ron Miziker, famous for its long run at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort most summers between 1972–1974, 1977–1982, and 1985-1996...
" to "America on Parade
America on Parade
America on Parade was a temporary replacement for Disneyland's and the Magic Kingdom's The Main Street Electrical Parade for the United States Bicentennial....
" and featured the Sherman Brothers' song "The Glorious Fourth". The revamped parade featured nightly fireworks and ran twice a day from 1975-1977.
Making history with the Sherman Brothers
The writing of this song marked a brief, albeit non-exclusive, return of the brother songwriting duo to the Disney fold where they had left exclusive employment in 1968. The Shermans worked exclusively for Walt DisneyWalt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
from 1960 until his death in 1966. Becoming disenchanted with the studio, the brother team left in 1968 working on a myriad of film and stage projects for various producers and studios. They returned briefly to finish work on The Aristocats
The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
and Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company which combines live action and animation and was released in North America on December 13, 1971...
for which they received two Academy Award nominations (for the latter film).
1974 also marked the return of the Shermans to Disney to write "The Best Time Of Your Life
The Best Time of Your Life
"The Best Time of Your Life" is a song written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman in 1974 as a new theme song for Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress...
" which was a replacement song for the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
pavilion's "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is the theme song to two Disney attractions, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World and Innoventions at Disneyland...
" featured in America Sings
America Sings
America Sings was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California from 1974 to 1988. It featured a cast of Audio-Animatronic animals that entertained the audience by singing songs from various periods in America's musical history, often in a humorous fashion....
at Disneyland and Disneyworld. In 1974 the Shermans additionally enjoyed the release of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too is a 1974 animated feature from Disney released as a double feature with The Island at the Top of the World. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, but lost to Closed Mondays. It was later added as a segment to the 1977 film The Many...
, the third Winnie the Pooh featurette to feature their songs.
Outside of Disney, the Shermans also saw the release of Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn (1974 film)
Huckleberry Finn is the 1974 musical film version of Mark Twain's American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.The movie was produced by Reader's Digest and Arthur P. Jacobs and starred Jeff East as Huckleberry Finn and Paul Winfield as Jim...
(MGM/UA) for which they authored both the songs and the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
as well as a hit Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical, Over Here!
Over Here!
Over Here! is a musical with a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and book by Will Holt. The original Broadway production was directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with scenic design by Douglas W. Schmidt and costumes by Carrie F...
starring the Andrews Sisters and John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
. The Shermans' song "You're Sixteen
You're Sixteen
"You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers . It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960....
" (sung by former Beatle, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
) reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
list all in that same historic year.
Literary Sources
- Sherman, Robert B. Walt's Time: from before to beyondWalt's Time: from before to beyondWalt's Time: from before to beyond is a 252-page autobiographic, full color book by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. It was edited by Imagineers Bruce Gordon, David Mumford and Jeff Kurtti and was published in 1998 by Camphor Tree Publishers who are out of Santa Clarita, California...
. Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998. - Greene, Kathrine and Richard. "Inside The Dream: The Personal Story of Walt Disney". New York: Disney Editions, 2001.