Audio & Video Highlights from Phantom Manor
John Debney Scores Buddy Baker's Tune
John
Debney, who is an acclaimed music composer for film (with a diverse
collection of soundtracks under his belt including The Passion of the
Christ, Sin City, Chicken Little, and Iron Man) was tapped by Disney
to give Buddy Baker's original composition a grand, gothic orchestration
for Phantom Manor.
A rare early "demo" tape that steps through the various proposed scenes of Phantom Manor via a rough synthesized soundtrack:
A sample of the ballroom wedding party waltz, led by the bellowing pipe organ:
A clip from the graveyard of the singing busts, which uses vocals from the original Haunted Mansion:
A clip of the boarding safety audio broadcast inside the Doom Buggies once the ride begins:
This excerpt is from the "endless hallway" scene of Phantom Manor, where the bride mysteriously appears:
A solemn clip from the bride's boudoir scene, with a violin expressing the bride's hopelessness:
An isolated sound effect of the eerie grandfather clock of Phantom Manor:
A clip of Phantom Manor's version of "Little Leota," the character that greets you as you exit:
A clip from the opening gallery scene of Phantom Manor, setting an unsettling mood:
A sample of the honky-tonk piano played in Phantom Manor's western ghost town scene:
A sound effects track of the mysterious piano in the music room, which seems to play itself...
A rare complete take from the recording session for the swinging graveyard scene:
A rare clip from the bride's music box heard near the gazebo in the queue:
Another version of the ballroom sound effects, singling out the organ, Phantom, and a pesky raven:
The London Chamber Orchestra performed the final soundtrack, and it was recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios. WDI tapped Katherine Meyering from within its own ranks to perform the bride's solos, and Vincent Price can be heard performing the Phantom's laugh. (An early soundtrack from the attraction actually featured a short bit of introduction in English with Price in the role of the "Ghost Host"/Phantom, but it was replaced early in the attraction's existence with a French narration by Gerard Chevalier.)
The role of Madame Leota is played by Oona Lind, and the original Ghost Host, Paul Frees, makes a cameo "appearance" as the mayor of the Thunder Mesa ghost town that guests visit at the conclusion of the ride.
Pictured above are (from left) Ken Lisi, Vincent Price, Greg Meader, and Gabrielle Reynolds during a Phantom Manor recording session. Lisi, Meader and Reynolds are part of the audio team from Disney responsible for producing the Phantom Manor soundtrack.
Enjoy these various samples of the lush soundscape found in Phantom Manor through sound effects, character voices, and John Debney's fine score.
The image above is a view of Phantom Manor as it overlooks the fictional "Thunder Mesa" area of Disneyland Paris' Frontierland. While the facade stikes a different pose than any of the other Mansions, the interior scenes and layout are quite similar to the design of the original Haunted Mansions.
The Return of Vincent Price
Press
the play button at left to listen to a full 20-minute soundtrack recording
of the entire Phantom Manor experience, including the orginal Vincent Price
narration. This recording was put together by a unit at Disney as a sample
of each segment of the entire Phantom Manor attraction, and it's even longer
than the actual ride.
Note that the plaque at the entrance to Phantom Manor is similar to the plaque that marks the entrance to the Haunted Mansions, with a notable difference: the "demon" face at the top of the plaque is clearly intended to resemble Price, in a subtle homage.
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Beauty Lives Here Still...
More scenery from Phantom Manor for your desktop
Enjoy these two images from Disneyland Paris' Phantom Manor as wallpaper on your computer.
