Poetry in jazz: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Some rhythmic Sunday morning fun: this jazzy, cool version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, written by Bobby Troup and performed by the Page Cavanaugh Trio. Hey baba ree bear!

Page Cavanaugh Trio - Three Bears

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Anonymous

Reminds me of the wonderful “Mary Had a Little Jam” by the Five Red Caps. A hip jive band worth tracking down.
Anonymous

How bout the those crazy kats, the 3 little bops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-_ck7AHKKE
jhhl

Check out Sam “Mr. Rhythm” Ulano’s Three Bears:
http://bomarrblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/sam-ulano-three-little-bears.html
Much more “Happily Mutated” than the smooth jazz combo above.
RustyTrawler

Love that 5 string bass!
rikomatic

I’m swaying and nodding at my desk listening to this. Sweet, swingin, laid-back sound.
RobertBigelow

It might have been something that might have been featured on “Your Hit Parade.” Cute little tune, nice “hooks” and good musicianship on all counts but this is what I call, “jazz” http://youtu.be/BwNrmYRiX_o :-)
kspraydad

WOW….blast from the past…performed/learned this for a grade 3 play back in 1975! I never knew it existed outside my memory….my kids are grown now but I sang it to them as a lullabye too. Cool stuff.
Anonymous

Very cool stuff indeed….and that 5 string bass is rare!
Brooklyn_Nanny

My elementary school P.E. teacher would do this song as a handclap game for circle time at the end of class. We all loved it, and I wondered where she had come up with it. I teach it to kids that I babysit for now. Thanks for sourcing it for me.
bunaen

Let’s take things up a notch.

This is a song about a mutant, sung by a mutant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Swpw9yZ5w
Anonymous

Totally learned a version of this song in girl scout camp as a kid (circa late 70′s). A few changes, but pretty much the same. I had no idea it was actually a recorded song!
- chgoliz
  
  Me too. JK?
Trojanwarhero

Those are the guys from Yolanda Be Cool’s We No Speak No Americano video!
Bloo

This and the Three Little Pigs!

Man, this is the beginning of a “Mutha” Goose DVD that Suzuki Beane would love!

Seriously, someone should curate a jazz/beat collection of stuff like this for children.
robcat2075

But I wish someone hadn’t felt it was necessary to hipsterize the video by stretching it horizontally.

It’s not a Youtube artifact because the test pattern at the front has properly shaped circles.
gellfex

I learned this version in summer camp 35 years ago from a counselor who did it around the campfire a cappela.
Anonymous

There is a jazz cartoon of the 3 pigs. It had the cool line at the end when the wolf went to hellfire “You got to get hot before you can play cool.”

Sorry couldn’t find it on line
Robbo

We riffed on this in our own bebop version of The Three Bears:

http://www.ruffusthedog.net/2010/10/06/the-three-bears/

I knew the Troup song from my own childhood and wanted to use it in our production but the guy we were trying to license the rights from wanted an INSANE amount of cash up front and a massive continuing royalty. Too rich for a low budget kids show like ours. So we had our composer JP Houston jazz together an underlying riff and played it from there. Sorry, Estate Of Bobby Troup, we tried – we really did.

Bit Of Trivia: Troup also acted in film and television. He’s the solidier driving the jeep in Altman’s M*A*S*H who says: “Goddamned Army!”

Just so ya know.