Harry Nilsson, Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Medley 5 : "Pink Elephants On Parade" & "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"

Well this was a surprise to have pop up on the old player. And it brought an instant creepy feeling to my bones.

This is from a fairly bizarre project (bizarre for a major label, Disney-related release anyway) called “Stay Awake.” Modern interpretations of Disney classics.

I bought it solely for the Replacements cover of “Cruella De Ville,” but it’s full of small delights, and head-scratching curiousities. Bonnie Raitt doing “Baby Mine”? Absolutely. Tom Waits doing “Heigh Ho”? That’ll give the kids nightmares.

And that’s what immediately swept over me as “Pink Elephants On Parade” came up.

“Dumbo” was the first movie I ever saw. My Mom brought me to a theatre in my hometown, the kind of old palace that is now a furniture store. And I loved it, but the whole “Pink Elephants” drunken dream weirded me out. If I’d seen it as an adult, it would probably seem tame, but it was so unsettling as a kid, I’ve never rewatched it.

And Sun Ra’s take does nothing to make you feel the whimsical delight of Disney’s story of a flying elephant.

Hear Harry Nilsson, Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Medley 5 : "Pink Elephants On Parade" & "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"

If you're not too terrified, you can see the video, here