View source for I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)

{{Short description|1967 film song by the Sherman Brothers}}
{{redirect|I Wanna Be Like You|the Black Grape song|Pop Voodoo}}
{{Infobox song
| name     = I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)
| cover    =
| alt      =
| type     =
| artist   = [[Louis Prima]] and [[Phil Harris]]
| album    = [[The Jungle Book (1967 soundtrack)|The Jungle Book]]
| released = 1967
| format   =
| recorded =
| studio   =
| venue    =
| genre    =
| length   =
| label    = [[Walt Disney Records|Walt Disney]]
| writer   = {{flat list|
* [[Richard M. Sherman]]
* [[Robert B. Sherman]]
}}
| producer =
}}
"'''I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)'''" is a song from [[Walt Disney]]'s 1967 film ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]''. The song was written by songwriters [[Sherman Brothers|Robert and Richard Sherman]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas S. |last2=Robinson |first2=Mark A. |title=The Disney Song Encyclopedia |date=2009 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810869387 |page=89}}</ref> and was performed by singer and musician [[Louis Prima]] as [[King Louie]], with [[Phil Harris]] providing additional vocals as [[Baloo#Disney versions|Baloo]] the bear.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061852/soundtrack The Jungle Book (1967) - Soundtracks] from [[Internet Movie Database]]</ref>
== Background ==
Walt Disney sought to make his version of ''The Jungle Book'' a lot more upbeat than the [[Rudyard Kipling]]-penned [[The Jungle Book|source material]], the original [[Bill Peet]] script, and the initial score composed by [[Terry Gilkyson]] (whose song "[[The Bare Necessities]]" ultimately made it into the final film).<ref>{{Cite book|title=The animated man: a life of Walt Disney|last=Michael.|first=Barrier, J.|date=2007|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520941663|location=Berkeley|pages=276|oclc=148004284}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/04/18/the-jungle-book-the-making-of-disneys-most-troubled-film/|title=The Jungle Book: the making of Disney's most troubled film|last=McLean|first=Craig|date=2016-04-25|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-03-24|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> The Sherman brothers were tasked with coming up with "crazy ways to have fun with [the music]."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.metronews.ca/views/in-focus-richard-crouse/2016/04/14/richard-sherman-talks-about-writing-jungle-book-song.html|title=I Wan'na Be like You: Richard Sherman shares story behind writing famous Jungle Book song|last=Krouse|first=Richard|date=2016-04-14|website=Metro News|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418135216/http://www.metronews.ca/views/in-focus-richard-crouse/2016/04/14/richard-sherman-talks-about-writing-jungle-book-song.html|archive-date=2016-04-18|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref>
Working with concept art of what the monkeys would look like,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.songwritingmagazine.co.uk/interviews/sodajerker-presents-richard-m-sherman/11304|title=Sodajerker presents… Richard M Sherman|date=2013-07-02|website=Songwriting Magazine|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref> [[Richard M. Sherman|Richard Sherman]] said he and his brother aimed for a [[jazz]] sound, with a [[Dixieland]]-like melody. He added that "when we first got an idea for 'I Wan'na Be Like You', we said an ape swings from a tree, and he's the king of apes. We'll make him 'the king of the [[Swing (dance)|swingers]]'. That's the idea, we'll make him a jazz man."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/movies/2016/04/for_jungle_book_purists_you_ca.html|title=For 'Jungle Book' purists, you just can't spell primate without 'Prima'|last=Scott|first=Mike|date=2016-04-15|website=nola.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref> After suggesting that Louis Prima could play the part of King Louie,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mouse tracks : the story of Walt Disney Records|last=Tim.|first=Hollis|date=2006|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|others=Ehrbar, Greg.|isbn=1578068487|edition= 1st|location=Jackson|pages=89–90|oclc=61309354}}</ref> [[Walt Disney Records]] president Jimmy Johnson and music director [[Salvador Camarata|Tutti Camarata]] asked the Sherman brothers to fly to [[Las Vegas]] and perform the song for Prima.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-07-ca-111-story.html|title=New 'Jungle Book' Sound Track Thrills Two of Its Composers: Movies: The digitally remastered CD will be out Monday. The Sherman brothers are animated about the recording.|date=1990-07-07|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2019-03-24|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> Once Prima was invited to do the song, he mockingly responded to the Shermans with "You want [[wikt:make a monkey out of|to make a monkey out of me]]? You got me!"<ref name=":0" />
The instrumentals were originally recorded by Prima - who also played the trumpet - and his band, [[Sam Butera]] & The Witnesses, but the music was replaced by one written by the film's composer, [[George Bruns]], and orchestrated by Walter Sheets. The "[[Scat singing|scat]] dialogue" between Baloo and King Louie was the result of two recording sessions. Louis Prima recorded first, with the intent that Baloo - played in his recording by Butera - would simply repeat what Louie scatted, but [[Phil Harris]] decided not to imitate Prima's recording and made up his own. The song was released the same date as the motion picture itself.<ref>Sherman, Richard. ''The Jungle Book'' [[audio commentary]]. ''The Jungle Book - Platinum Edition''</ref>
==Personnel==
* [[Louis Prima]] – vocals, trumpet, scat
* [[Phil Harris]] – vocals, scat
* [[Sam Butera]] – scat
* [[Bruce Reitherman]] – spoken word
* Walter Sheets – orchestration
==Cover versions==
* [[Kenny Ball]] and His Jazzmen released a single of "I Wanna Be like You" (without an apostrophe in the title) in 1968<ref>[http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirk/kennyb.htm Kenny Ball 45rpm Discography] at www.45rpm.org.uk</ref> and it also featured on their 1969 album ''King of the Swingers''.<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/Kenny-Ball-And-His-Jazzmen-King-Of-The-Swingers/release/742865 Kenny Ball&mdash;King Of The Swingers (1969)] at [[Discogs]]</ref>
* [[Pinky and Perky]] recorded a version for their ''Film Parade'' album in 1970 and also released the song as a single.
* On the 1990 collection ''[[Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films]]'', the song appears on "Medley Two" as recorded by [[Los Lobos]], who play the song occasionally in their live shows.
* On 5 April 1994 [[Phish]] performed a truly Phish-styled version at The Metropolis Concert Hall in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]]. Phish covered the song eight other times that year. <ref>{{Cite web |title=I Wan'na Be Like You Every Time Played - Phish.net |url=https://phish.net/song/i-wanna-be-like-you |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=phish.net}}</ref>
* [[Big Bad Voodoo Daddy]] did a cover of the song on the ''[[Swingers (1996 film)|Swingers]]'' soundtrack, even though the song does not appear in the film. The band later released the song on their 1999 album ''[[This Beautiful Life]]''.
* [[Voodoo Glow Skulls]] recorded a [[ska]] version of the song for the 2002 Japanese-exclusive album ''[[Dive into Disney]]''.
* ''[[The Jungle Book 2]]'', released in 2003, featured the band [[Smash Mouth]] playing the song during the end credits of the film; the song also appeared on the film's soundtrack. In the Australian version, [[Nikki Webster]] covers the song, which is also featured on her ''[[The Best of Nikki Webster|Best of]]'' album. King Louie is one of the characters that doesn't appear in the second film.
* The 2005 album ''En Vivo'' by [[Gabriel Ríos]] contains a cover of the song.
* In 2007, a [[pop rock]] cover was recorded by the [[Jonas Brothers]] for ''[[Disneymania 5]]''. That same year, for the 40th anniversary of the film, Dutch musical group XYP covered it as well in a swing-pop style.
* Scottish singer [[Paolo Nutini]] performed "I Wan'na Be like You" at the 2007 [[Glastonbury Festival]].
* On 23 October 2010, ''[[The X Factor (UK TV series)|X Factor]]'' contestant [[Katie Waissel]] pleased the judges with her surprise selection of the song.
* In 2011, Serbian-Montenegrin duo [[Flamingosi]] covered the song with new lyrics in Serbian as "Nebojša" on their album ''Seti se našeg zaveta''. Their cover samples the 2007 cover by XYP.
* [[Craig David]] sang a cover of the song for an award ceremony in the UK; the video is on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{YouTube|SZQZpql2K8E}}</ref>
* In November 2013, [[The Overtones]] recorded a cover of the song as a mix with "[[The Bare Necessities]]" for their album ''Saturday Night at the Movies''.
* In 2015, [[Fall Out Boy]] recorded a cover version of the song for the compilation album ''[[We Love Disney (2015 album)|We Love Disney]]''.
* [[Christopher Walken]] performs the song as King Louie in the [[The Jungle Book (2016 film)|2016 live-action adaptation]], with new lyrics written by Richard M. Sherman to reflect the character of Louie being depicted as a ''[[Gigantopithecus]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-modernizing-jungle-book-20160414-story.html?dlvrit=95867|title='Jungle Book' director Jon Favreau keeps the 19th century Kipling tone but updates the classic for modern times|author=Rebecca Keegan|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 15, 2016|access-date=April 15, 2016}}</ref>
* [[J-pop]] band [[Little Glee Monster]] recorded a Japanese cover of the song titled 'Kimi no yō ni naritai` (君のようになりたい).
* The Fun Songs version is performed in a 1994 Disney Sing-Along Songs home video: ''Let's Go to the Circus''. In it, Toby Scott Ganger imagines what it would be like if he and his friends were all monkeys in the [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus]] show.
* Australian band [[Psychedelic Porn Crumpets]] covered the song for Triple J's "Like A Version" in 2020.
* Sid Bader sings a cover of the song in 2022 for ''[[The Voice of Germany]]''.
== Robbie Williams version ==
{{Infobox song
| name     = I Wanna Be like You
| cover    =
| alt      =
| type     =
| artist   = [[Robbie Williams]] featuring [[Olly Murs]]
| album    = [[Swings Both Ways]]
| released =
| format   =
| recorded =
| studio   =
| venue    =
| genre    =
| length   = {{Duration|m=03|s=31}}
| label    = {{flatlist|
* [[Island Records|Island]]
* [[Universal Music Group|Universal]]
* [[Walt Disney Records|Walt Disney]]}}
| writer   = {{flatlist|
* [[Richard M. Sherman|Richard Sherman]]
* [[Robert B. Sherman|Robert Sherman]]}}
| producer = [[Guy Chambers]]
}}
"I Wan'na Be like You" was covered by British recording artist [[Robbie Williams]] featuring British recording artist [[Olly Murs]] for his tenth studio album ''[[Swings Both Ways]]'' (2013). Production of their rendition was handled by [[Guy Chambers]]. However, in the liner notes Robbie Williams incorrectly attributes the original to Phil Harris, and says how much he admires Harris (p.&nbsp;4 of notes in Deluxe Edition).
=== Weekly charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (2013)
!Peak<br>position
|-
{{single chart|Austria|55|song=I wanna Be like You|artist=Robbie Williams feat. Olly Murs|access-date=23 January 2014|refname=AUT}}
|-
{{single chart|Germany|85|song=I wanna Be like You|artist=Robbie Williams feat. Olly Murs|songid=1216630|access-date=14 March 2019|refname=GER}}
|-
{{single chart|Irish|64|year=2013|week=48|access-date=23 January 2014|refname=IRMA}}
|-
|}
==Uses in popular culture==
* In 1978, a live-action sketch titled ''The Wonderful World of Ernie'' from ''[[Morecambe and Wise]]'' parodied the song by doing a full reenactment of the scene with sets and costumes and lip-synching to the original recording (including the characters' spoken dialogue in the middle of the song). The sketch starred Danny Rolnick as [[Mowgli]], [[Derek Griffiths]] as [[Bagheera]], [[Eric Morecambe]] as [[Baloo]] and [[Ernie Wise]] as [[King Louie]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6nDKP4rEIU|title=Morecambe&Wise - The Jungle Book - I Wanna Be Like You - Disney spoof|website=Disney+|date=December 14, 2011|access-date=September 8, 2022}}</ref>
* In 2008, the song was used in an anti-smoking [[public information film]] from the [[National Health Service|NHS]]. It shows children copying everything their parents did (for example, boys putting shaving cream on their faces, girls dressing up in their mothers' best clothes and both genders washing the car), and the song is playing throughout the advertisement, but it slows down and stops when a girl puts a [[crayon]] to her mouth in imitation of her mother smoking. The advertisement ends with a female voice-over saying: "If you smoke, your children are more likely to smoke, too. Smoking. Don't keep it in the family".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Whelan|first=Natalie|date=2008-06-13|title='Don't keep it in the family', says anti-smoking ad|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jun/13/advertising.nhs|access-date=2022-01-14|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>
* The Robbie Williams/Olly Murs collaborative cover appears in season 3, episode 9 of the TV drama ''[[Stella (UK TV series)|Stella]]''.
* In 2015, "I Wanna Be like You" was featured in season 1, episode 7 of the TV drama ''[[Aquarius (U.S. TV series)|Aquarius]]''.
* The song was used in a popular [[TikTok]] trend during the year 2019.
* In 2022 it was used on [[The Voice of Germany]] by Sid Bader, where he received an all turn.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{The Jungle Book}}
{{Louis Prima}}
{{Smash Mouth}}
{{Robbie Williams singles}}
{{Olly Murs}}
{{Jonas Brothers}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Songs about primates]]
[[Category:Songs from The Jungle Book (1967 film)]]
[[Category:1967 singles]]
[[Category:1967 songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by the Sherman Brothers]]
[[Category:Jazz songs]]
[[Category:Swing music]]
[[Category:Robbie Williams songs]]
[[Category:Smash Mouth songs]]
[[Category:Olly Murs songs]]
[[Category:Fall Out Boy songs]]
[[Category:Jonas Brothers songs]]
[[Category:Los Lobos songs]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Records singles]]