![]() We were looking for a modern equivalent for the Greek references and this style of music seemed to be entertaining and a real departure at the same time.” Especially when it comes to Disney music. It can be exhilarating, especially when it gets everybody on their feet. Menken once said in an interview that he, initially, wanted to go down a classic Greek approach for the soundtrack, but directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, were the ones who really pushed the gospel direction because “that’s what you sing when you’re singing about God-or in this case the gods.” Musker explained on a separate occasion: “Gospel is a storytelling kind of music. ![]() LaChanze says that big hitters like Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight were also considered, but, essentially, Wheeler needed “singers that could take direction and come together and sound like music… he wanted Broadway voices that could take direction and blend.” The five women did that seamlessly (think: The Supremes in glamorous togas) outside of their musical background, they also all had a hint of church in them, something very necessary for the largely gospel-driven soundtrack. Though likely a calculated option, can you picture the British girl group belting out "A Star Is Born," with the conviction necessary to sell that song? Yeah, neither can we. It was rumored that the Spice Girls were considered for the roles, but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts. “Allan Menken said, ‘Well, we have to find something for her.’” “The director told me, ‘You sang that so well, but you will not get this role because your voice is a little too mature for this character,’” she says. Freeman, meanwhile, tells me that, prior to Hercules, she auditioned for the role of Pocahontas, which is where she met the composer, Alan Menken. LaChanze says Harold Wheeler, who composed and orchestrated the film, sought her out following her work on Once on this Island. The women were selected mostly due to their work on Broadway. They were supporting characters, mainly appearing when the film required narration and dynamic vocals, but, for many, they provided the movie's real star quality. Thomas, Cheryl Freeman, LaChanze, and Roz Ryan. And that’s mostly due to its five muses.Ĭalliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia (not many people know the Disney muses have actual names, but they do) were voiced by singers Lillias White, Vanéese Y. But what about Hercules? Why doesn't anyone think of the criminally underrated 1997 Disney movie? The Hercules track, “Go The Distance,” was nominated for an Oscar, but ended up losing to Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On.” But that's not Hercules' fault, nothing was going to stop Titanic that year! That doesn't contradict the fact that, 20 years later, the Hercules soundtrack remains a standout. These are all understandable choice-all those movies have won Oscars for Best Original Song after all. In the movie, they are presented as the five lovely Goddesses, whose domain lies in the arts, and they sing the tales of ancient Greece in a "gospel choir" style.When you think of outstanding Disney soundtracks, what comes to mind first? The Lion King, definitely. However, this is never referenced in either the movie or series. Likewise, when they were encouraged it was due to the blessings of a Muse. In Greek legend, the greatest power of the Muses was a kind of possession - when a poet or actor performed at their best, it was not them, but a muse speaking through them. The five often do this to begin or join in a song. Object Manifestation - They can inhabit statues and images that depict them (bring said statues and/or image to life).Immortality - they can live forever and cannot be killed.The Muses got to sing the song "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)".Īs goddesses of Arts and Proclaimer of Heroes and Zeus, their father and his wife Hera were the judges of the Music Contest, he invited the Olympian Gods and The Sirens, they were jealous of the muses song because it was good and beautiful and The sirens sang the siren song but Hera the judge made the muses winners of the competition. The Five Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne - the Titaness of Memory under the Alias name memory which will make Them Half Sisters of Hercules and There, in fact, the nine major Greek Muses. Roz Ryan as Thalia, the short and plump Muse of comedy.LaChanze as Terpsichore, the dance Muse with the short, kinky hair.Cheryl Freeman as Melpomene, the long-haired Muse of tragedy.Thomas as Clio, the Muse of history, with the ponytail Lillias White as Calliope, the Muse of epic tales, who wears a headband over her big, curly hair.
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