The Lion King [Special Edition] (CD - 1994)

Producers: Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas.

Compilation producer: Steven Stern.

Principally recorded at Media Ventures and Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles, California; Townhouse Studio, London, England; BPO Studios, Mmabatho, South Africa.

All songs written by Tim Rice and Elton John. Instrumental score written by Hans Zimmer.

"Can You Feel The Love Tonight" won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "Circle Of Life" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals; and THE LION KING won the Grammy for Best Musical Album For Children. "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "Circle Of Life" were also both nominated for Song Of The Year and Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion Picture Or Television; and the album's instrumental tracks were nominated for Best Instrumental Composition Written For A Motion Picture Or For Television.

The heady influence of Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, David Byrne--and all the other musicians who've introduced pop fans to the sounds and style of Africa--resonate subtly throughout the Hollywood flourishes of THE LION KING.

Part of THE LION KING's appeal can be traced to Hans Zimmer's imagistic evocative instrumental score. Instrumental excerpts such as "This Land" and "Under The Stars" are a vibrant amalgam of lush orchestral passages with flashes of idiomatic African vocal colors and ceremonial percussive textures (while "King Of Pride Rock" echoes elements of Mozart's REQUIEM and traditional African six-beat rhythms).

But it's THE LION KING's comic operetta songs and the Elton John/Tim Rice pop miniatures that ultimately distinguish this soundtrack and give it fresh legs for all holiday seasons. John's philosophical ruminations on "The Circle Of Life" are framed by power pop on a grand scale, with huge reverberant drum accents and massive sampled choruses and strings. But "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" is this collection's most engaging song, a sort of Afro-Rockabilly groove, tinted by the gospelish drive of John's Little Richard style piano.

Principal Cast: Tsidii Le Loka (Rafiki); Samuel E. Wright (Mufasa); Gina Breedlove (Sarabi); Geoff Hoyle (Zazu); John Vickery (Scar); Scott Irby-Ranniar (Young Simba); Kajuana Shuford (Young Nala); Tracy Nicole Chapman (Shenzi); Stanley Wayne Mathis (Banzai); Kevin Cahoon (Ed); Max Casella (Timon); Tom Alan Robbins (Pumbaa); Jason Raize (Simba); Heather Headley (Nala).

Producers: Mark Mancina, Lebo M, Jay Rifkin.

Recorded at Sony Music Studios, New York, New York.

THE LION KING won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

Producers: Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas.

Compilation producer: Steven Stern.

Principally recorded at Media Ventures and Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles, California; Townhouse Studio, London, England; BPO Studios, Mmabatho, South Africa.

All songs written by Tim Rice and Elton John. Instrumental score written by Hans Zimmer.

"Can You Feel The Love Tonight" won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "Circle Of Life" won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals; and THE LION KING won the Grammy for Best Musical Album For Children. "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "Circle Of Life" were also both nominated for Song Of The Year and Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion Picture Or Television; and the album's instrumental tracks were nominated for Best Instrumental Composition Written For A Motion Picture Or For Television.

Principal Cast: Tsidii Le Loka (Rafiki); Samuel E. Wright (Mufasa); Gina Breedlove (Sarabi); Geoff Hoyle (Zazu); John Vickery (Scar); Scott Irby-Ranniar (Young Simba); Kajuana Shuford (Young Nala); Tracy Nicole Chapman (Shenzi); Stanley Wayne Mathis (Banzai); Kevin Cahoon (Ed); Max Casella (Timon); Tom Alan Robbins (Pumbaa); Jason Raize (Simba); Heather Headley (Nala).

Producers: Mark Mancina, Lebo M, Jay Rifkin.

Recorded at Sony Music Studios, New York, New York.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: Lebo M., Mbongeni Ngema (vocals); Davey Johnstone (guitar, background vocals); Richard Harvey (panpipes); Chuck Sabo (drums); Guy Babylon, Matthew Vaughn Gospel Choir, London Community Gospel Choir, Olle Romo, Bob Daspit (programming); Phil Spalding, Gary Barlow, Kiki Dee, Rick Astley (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Chris Thomas ; Jay Rifkin; Steve Kempster.

Audio Remixers: Dave Reitzas; Jochem van der Saag.

Recording information: Angel Studios, Islington, London, England; Audio Department; BOP Studios, Mmabatho, S. Africa; EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Media Ventures, L.A; Ocean Way Studios, L.A; Olympic Studio, London, England; Signet Sound Studios; Snake Ranch, London, England; Townhouse Studio, London, England.

Arrangers: Jay Rifkin; Lebo M.; Mark Mancina; Hans Zimmer.

The dramatic, thoughtful, and rhythmically inspiring musical score for THE LION KING film was composed by soundtrack veteran Hans Zimmer, and enhanced with expressive songs by Tim Rice and Sir Elton John. This SPECIAL EDITION features a previously unreleased song, "The Morning Report," sung by James Earl Jones, Jeff Bennett, and Evan Saucedo, along with a version of Sir Elton John's "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," remixed and supplemented with extra percussion.

While it is hard to argue with the ecology lesson behind "Circle of Life" or the impossibly infectious rhumba of "Hakuna Matata," the true heart of the original soundtrack release of Disney's The Lion King was the 17 minutes it included of Hans Zimmer's inspiring and majestic score, divided into four brief segments ("This Land," "...To Die For," "Under the Stars," and "King of Pride Rock"). Unfortunately, this special edition reissue of the album does not add any additional portions of the score, opting for an unreleased song, "The Morning Report" (sung by Jeff Bennett, James Earl Jones, and Evan Saucedo) and yet another remix of Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," this time with added percussion. These two additions are nothing special, and certainly not enough to merit buying The Lion King soundtrack a second time. Disney missed an opportunity here. ~ Steve Leggett

The stage production of Disney's hit film The Lion King isn't drastically different, musically, from the film, adding only a couple of new, unremarkable songs. For dedicated fans of The Lion King, this recording is worthwhile -- the performances are strong, confirming the strength of several of Elton John's songs -- but most listeners will be content with the original motion picture soundtrack. ~ Rodney Batdorf

While it is hard to argue with the ecology lesson behind "Circle of Life" or the impossibly infectious rhumba of "Hakuna Matata," the true heart of the original soundtrack release of Disney's The Lion King was the 17 minutes it included of Hans Zimmer's inspiring and majestic score, divided into four brief segments ("This Land," "...To Die For," "Under the Stars," and "King of Pride Rock"). This special edition reissue of the album includes those segments and, rather than adding any additional portions of the score, opts for an unreleased song, "The Morning Report" (sung by Jeff Bennett, James Earl Jones, and Evan Saucedo), and another remix of Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," this time with added percussion. ~ Steve Leggett

Walt Disney Pictures had its fourth straight massive hit with an animated movie musical in the summer of 1994 with its tale of the coming of age of a young lion. The movie studio changed composers, replacing Alan Menken, who wrote The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, and Aladdin, with Hans Zimmer (instrumental score) and Elton John (songs); lyricist Tim Rice, who took over on Aladdin after the death of Howard Ashman, remained in place. John took a leaf from the Paul Simon Graceland songbook and filled his music with references to South African mbaqanga. But there wasn't that much of it: we're only talking about five songs here, three of which are repeated at the end in versions by John (one of those, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," became a hit single). And an already padded soundtrack was further padded with four excerpts from Zimmer's score. Pretty skimpy, all things considered, but that didn't keep this album from topping the charts as the movie harvested hundreds of millions of dollars all summer. ~ William Ruhlmann

Walt Disney Pictures had its fourth straight massive hit with an animated movie musical in the summer of 1994 with its tale of the coming of age of a young lion. The movie studio changed composers, replacing Alan Menken, who wrote The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, and Aladdin, with Hans Zimmer (instrumental score) and Elton John (songs); lyricist Tim Rice, who took over on Aladdin after the death of Howard Ashman, remained in place. John took a leaf from the Paul Simon Graceland songbook and filled his music with references to South African mbaqanga. But there wasn't that much of it: we're only talking about five songs here, three of which are repeated at the end in versions by John (one of those, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," became a hit single)...Plus, there are four excerpts from Zimmer's score... ~ William Ruhlmann

LION KING director Julie Taymor notes that "the South African-style chorus led by Lebo M has become a principal character" in the stage version of Disney's unforgettable story. This chorus, as well as African rhythms, chants, and Zulu dialects are made an essential part of the score, rather than being a mere background as they were in the film version. Expertly intermingled with this specifically African sound are the new comedic songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice, such as "Chow Down," the evil hyena's rock opera theme song; and Zazu the hornbill's wacky "The Morning Report." Beloved songs from the film, including "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Hakuna Matata" are here as well, as are new standouts like the lovely, haunting "They Live in You," written by Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, and Lebo M.

While it is hard to argue with the ecology lesson behind "Circle of Life" or the impossibly infectious rhumba of "Hakuna Matata," the true heart of the original soundtrack release of Disney's The Lion King was the 17 minutes it included of Hans Zimmer's inspiring and majestic score, divided into four brief segments ("This Land," "...To Die For," "Under the Stars," and "King of Pride Rock"). Unfortunately, this special edition reissue of the album does not add any additional portions of the score, opting for an unreleased song, "The Morning Report" (sung by Jeff Bennett, James Earl Jones, and Evan Saucedo) and yet another remix of Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," this time with added percussion. These two additions are nothing special, and certainly not enough to merit buying The Lion King soundtrack a second time. Disney missed an opportunity here. ~ Steve Leggett

While it is hard to argue with the ecology lesson behind "Circle of Life" or the impossibly infectious rhumba of "Hakuna Matata," the true heart of the original soundtrack release of Disney's The Lion King was the 17 minutes it included of Hans Zimmer's inspiring and majestic score, divided into four brief segments ("This Land," "...To Die For," "Under the Stars," and "King of Pride Rock"). This special edition reissue of the album includes those segments and, rather than adding any additional portions of the score, opts for an unreleased song, "The Morning Report" (sung by Jeff Bennett, James Earl Jones, and Evan Saucedo), and another remix of Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," this time with added percussion. ~ Steve Leggett minimize