In this issue of Memorabilia Corner we’re going to talk about the first soundtrack album ever released on the Disneyland record label back in 1956: the venerable WDL-4001. It has never been re-released in any format, and sadly remains one of the few soundtracks still unavailable from Disney. Fortunately, this soundtrack can be listened to in its entirety on YouTube! (Note: The first track is incorrect; the actual first track can be heard here.)

So, what makes this record so special? There are a couple of reasons: 1) WDL-4001 was the first motion picture soundtrack released on the Disneyland record label in 1956. 2) While the popular songs from Song of the South were released on myriad of record albums over the years, WDL-4001 was the only album that contained the instrumental music from the movie interspersed with the songs. It contains three extra tracks compared to the more common DQ-1205: “Ginny and Johnny”, “Uncle Remus Leaves”, and the reprise of “Let the Rain Pour Down”.

To date, I’ve collected pressings from the United States, Canada, and Australia, though I suspect it was also released in other countries as well. The earliest U.S. pressings are on the yellow Disneyland record label, and were manufactured by Hansen Records. Versions of the early yellow Disneyland labels exist both with and without “Hansen Records, Inc., New York” in an arc across the top of the label.

Later pressings have a red record label, and I have even come across a WDL-4001 record label with a DQ-1205 sticker placed over the record number. My best guess is they were either phasing out the more expensive WDL-4001, or had a surplus of them and/or a shortage of DQ-1205 pressings. In any case, it makes for an unusual find!

In Canada, the record was pressed and distributed by Sparton of Canada Ltd. The cover is almost identical to the U.S. pressing except “SPARTON” has been stamped in the upper right corner in black ink. The red record label is also unique (see photo).

In Australia, the record was pressed and distributed by E.M.I. (Australia) Limited. The album cover is similar to the U.S. pressing as well, but has the Disneyland Records Hi-Fidelity logo in the upper right corner. The red record label is also unique (see photo).

For those like me who are interested in the early history of Disneyland Records, this thread over at MagicMusic.net has some interesting relevant information.

The back side of the album explains how the sound track album came about, and is a wealth of information in and of itself! Here is a direct excerpt:

Disney directors and artists and even the Disney musicians themselves have always considered that most Disney film music had no place apart from the film. It took a couple of talented outsiders, visiting the Disney Studio to find material for the new Disneyland Record label, to discover the fabulous quality of the sound track music itself. These two; Tutti Camarata, the celebrated musician, composer, and arranger and Charles Hansen, of Hansen Publications, Inc., the firm which handles Disney educational music, dared to watch SONG OF THE SOUTH with their eyes closed. They believe they are the first people ever really to hear the score of the Disney film. They may be right because the visual impression of color and action in Disney features is often so over-whelming that one literally does not hear the music. Camarata and Hansen came out of the projection room convinced that they had discovered something which must command a place on long-playing phonograph records. Disney executives were dubious but, after some of the other Disney films were screened, including Pinocchio which the Disney officials also viewed with their eyes closed, the decision was made to produce original sound track albums from the Disney scores.

So, the idea for this original sound track album was born. But, having an idea and putting it into execution are sometimes separated by many problems and much time. Dialogue and distracting sound effects would have to be eliminated from the phonograph record. The portions of the music sound track to be used would have to be carefully selected and edited. Fortunately, the Disney method of sound recording involves many different sound tracks and the original components were still available. Also very fortunately, two of the men who were responsible for the original sound recording of SONG OF THE SOUTH, Sam Slyfield and Harold Steck, were still available and they, working with Bob Cook, Herb Taylor, Mel Poche and Ed Ornsten of the Disney Sound Department and especially with Evelyn Kennedy and Rusty Jones of the Disney Music Editing Department under the able supervision of Tutti Camarata, were able to produce this fine hi fidelity recording of the sound track of this classic Disney film. Final tape editing for the phonograph record master was done by Tutti Camarata.

The album originally sold for $4.98 (which was a fair amount in 1956) and was geared more towards adults than children. Today, the album is fairly desirable. Some price guides value this record album at $200-250, though I think that’s a bit on the high side. On average, I would estimate their value closer to the $75-150 range for the rarer pressings (Hansen, Sparton, EMI), and $50-100 for the later pressings. In any case, this album is a neat part of early Disneyland Records history!