Tubby the Tuba (song)
Encyclopedia
"Tubby the Tuba" is the title of a 1945 song
, whose lyrics were written by Paul Tripp
and music composed by George Kleinsinger
. The original recording, released on the Decca label
, was sung by Danny Kaye
.
The song traces its origins back to World War II
, following the attack on Pearl Harbor
. After Tripp and Kleinsinger performed their first musical piece, the tuba
player taking part quipped: "You know, tubas can sing, too." With this in mind, Tripp wrote the tale of a tuba who found a melody to play, and the pair then made a song out of it.
It was not until the war ended that they finally had a hit with "Tubby". The sales success of the tune prompted George Pal
to make a 1947 Puppetoon
based on it
, which was nominated for a Best Animated Short Oscar
. It was followed by a 1975 animated feature
, which was the first of its kind to take advantage of computer technology.
There have been spinoffs involving two other characters from the song, Pee-Wee and Celeste. The Manhattan Transfer
recorded an album featuring the character
, their only one for children, in 1995; it contained a sequel song called "Further Adventures of Tubby".
Other versions of "Tubby the Tuba" include the 1996 release on Angel Records called Tubby the Tuba and Friends. The orchestral tracks "Tubby the Tuba," "The Story of Celeste," "Adventures of a Zoo," and "Peepo the Piccolo," were recorded by the Radio Orchestra of Bratislava under the baton of Stephen Gunzenhauser. A final track, "Tubby the Tuba Meets a Jazz Band," was recorded in New York City with Bob Stewart
on tuba, Jimmy Owens
on trumpet, Paquito D'Rivera
on clarinet, Marco Katz
on trombone, Chuck Folds
on piano, John Thomas on percussion, and Oliver Jackson
on drums. Paul Tripp
is the narrator on this recording.[5][6] Several of the same instrumental tracks appear on a 2006 release called Play it Happy on Koch Records that features Meredith Vieira
on "Tubby the Tuba" and "Tubby the Tuba Meets a Jazz Band" and Paul Tripp on "The Story of Celeste."http://www.tubbythetuba.com/shop.htmlhttp://music.barnesandnoble.com/Tubby-the-Tuba-Play-It-Happy/Meredith-Vieira/e/099923417927
"Tubby the Tuba" has been translated into over thirty languages, and has even been narrated by Today host Meredith Vieira
. Tripp's original story was printed by E. P. Dutton
in 2006, in commemoration of its 60th anniversary (ISBN 0-525-47717-9).
1945 in music
-Events:*The Motion Picture Daily Fame Poll designates Bing Crosby "Top Male Vocalist" for the ninth straight year.*July 26 - Composer Ernest John Moeran marries cellist Peers Coetmore.*August 19 - Dick Powell marries June Allyson....
, whose lyrics were written by Paul Tripp
Paul Tripp
Paul Tripp was a musician, author and television and film actor born in New York City. He was a partner of fellow composer George Kleinsinger. Tripp was the creator of 1945's "Tubby the Tuba", a children's song that has become his best-known work. Early in his career, he was the host of CBS' Mr....
and music composed by George Kleinsinger
George Kleinsinger
George Kleinsinger was an American composer from San Bernardino, California, best known for his collaboration with Paul Tripp on the 1940s children's song "Tubby the Tuba". He also wrote the music for the phonograph record Archy & Mehitabal and the Broadway musical based on the record, Shinbone...
. The original recording, released on the Decca label
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, was sung by Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
.
The song traces its origins back to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, following the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. After Tripp and Kleinsinger performed their first musical piece, 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...
player taking part quipped: "You know, tubas can sing, too." With this in mind, Tripp wrote the tale of a tuba who found a melody to play, and the pair then made a song out of it.
It was not until the war ended that they finally had a hit with "Tubby". The sales success of the tune prompted George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
to make a 1947 Puppetoon
Puppetoons
George Pal's Puppetoons were a series of animated puppet films made in Europe in the 1930s and in the U.S. in the 1940s. They are memorable for their use of "replacement" animation: using a series of different hand-carved wooden puppets for each frame in which the puppet moves or changes...
based on it
Tubby the Tuba (1947 film)
Tubby the Tuba is a 1947 American animated short film from Paramount Pictures, directed by George Pal as part of his Puppetoon series. It was based on the original song by Paul Tripp and George Kleinsinger. The film features narration by Victor Jory....
, which was nominated for a Best Animated Short Oscar
Academy Award for Animated Short Film
The Academy Award for Animated Short Film is an award which has been given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as part of the Academy Awards every year since the 5th Academy Awards, covering the year 1931-32, to the present....
. It was followed by a 1975 animated feature
Tubby the Tuba (1975 film)
Tubby the Tuba is a 1975 animated feature film, based on the 1945 children's story for concert orchestra and narrator of the same name by Paul Tripp and George Kleinsinger...
, which was the first of its kind to take advantage of computer technology.
There have been spinoffs involving two other characters from the song, Pee-Wee and Celeste. The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
recorded an album featuring the character
The Manhattan Transfer Meets Tubby the Tuba
The Manhattan Transfer Meets Tubby The Tuba is a children's studio album released by The Manhattan Transfer in 1995 on the Atlantic Records label. It features music by George Kleinsinger and stories by Paul Tripp...
, their only one for children, in 1995; it contained a sequel song called "Further Adventures of Tubby".
Other versions of "Tubby the Tuba" include the 1996 release on Angel Records called Tubby the Tuba and Friends. The orchestral tracks "Tubby the Tuba," "The Story of Celeste," "Adventures of a Zoo," and "Peepo the Piccolo," were recorded by the Radio Orchestra of Bratislava under the baton of Stephen Gunzenhauser. A final track, "Tubby the Tuba Meets a Jazz Band," was recorded in New York City with Bob Stewart
Bob Stewart
Bob Stewart may refer to:*Bob Stewart , television producer*Bob Stewart , tuba player*Bob Stewart , ice hockey player...
on tuba, Jimmy Owens
Jimmy Owens
Jimmy Owens may refer to:*Jimmy and Carol Owens, songwriting team*Jimmy Owens , jazz trumpet player*Jimmy Owens , race car driver...
on trumpet, Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera is a Cuban alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist. The winner of multiple Grammys and other awards, D'Rivera has lived in the United States since the early 1980s. He has worked in a variety of contexts, but is perhaps best known for playing Latin...
on clarinet, Marco Katz
Marco Katz
Marco Katz plays trombone and arranges and composes music for Band, Brass quintet, and other musical ensembles. Reviewer Adam Gaines writes, "Katz's compositions are a real highlight of the disc...
on trombone, Chuck Folds
Chuck Folds
Chuck Folds is a musician living in North Carolina. More notably he is the younger brother of the piano playing pop/rock star Ben Folds. Chuck has played bass in a number of bands since the late 1980s, including Bus Stop with Evan Olson, Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell, and Eddie Walker. Bus Stop...
on piano, John Thomas on percussion, and Oliver Jackson
Oliver Jackson
Oliver Jackson , aka Bops Junior, was an American jazz drummer.Jackson played in Detroit in the 1940s with Thad Jones, Tommy Flanagan, and Wardell Gray, and had a variety show with Eddie Locke called Bop & Locke...
on drums. Paul Tripp
Paul Tripp
Paul Tripp was a musician, author and television and film actor born in New York City. He was a partner of fellow composer George Kleinsinger. Tripp was the creator of 1945's "Tubby the Tuba", a children's song that has become his best-known work. Early in his career, he was the host of CBS' Mr....
is the narrator on this recording.[5][6] Several of the same instrumental tracks appear on a 2006 release called Play it Happy on Koch Records that features Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
on "Tubby the Tuba" and "Tubby the Tuba Meets a Jazz Band" and Paul Tripp on "The Story of Celeste."http://www.tubbythetuba.com/shop.htmlhttp://music.barnesandnoble.com/Tubby-the-Tuba-Play-It-Happy/Meredith-Vieira/e/099923417927
"Tubby the Tuba" has been translated into over thirty languages, and has even been narrated by Today host Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
. Tripp's original story was printed by E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. In 1986, the company was acquired by Penguin Group and split into two imprints: Dutton Penguin and Dutton Children's Books.-History:Edward Payson Dutton founded...
in 2006, in commemoration of its 60th anniversary (ISBN 0-525-47717-9).
Sources
- Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. ISBN 1-55652-591-5. Chicago Reader Press. Accessed April 9, 2007.
External links
- Official site
- NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
story on Tubby's legacy