Under the Sea is the centerpiece to a sad tale of corporate greed, a children's movie, a hostile takeover of a record label, and the resulting downfall of one of the best bands of the 1990s. Read on, and ponder.
Interspersed lyrics from Under the Sea, written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
Act 1: Introduce the Characters
The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
In 1996, Mammoth Records was perhaps the most successful independent record label in the United States. The label had released a platinum album by the band Seven Mary Three in the previous year, and that was just the start...
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Their most well-known band, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, had their single, Hell, receiving heavy rotation on MTV and many radio stations, and the album from which the single came, Hot, was in the midst of a fifty week run in the Billboard albums chart.
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Mammoth was, at the time, known as an extremely artist-friendly label, which fit well with the Zippers -- the group had no desire to become very famous; the members mostly just wanted the freedom to play live music, and their strong but not overwhelming level of success afforded the group the opportunity to do just that.
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?
However, there is another character in this happy story of a band, a record label, and their mutual success. Disney was interested in boosting their own fledgling record label (which mostly produced soundtracks and albums for youth-targeted audiences) by purchasing some of the more well-known independent record labels and merging them and their artists into another so-called major label.
Act 2: Introduce the Obstacles
Disney's first music label target in their buying phase of the late 1990s (which would also include the purchase of ABC and several other media purchase attempts) was Mammoth Records. With two platinum-selling artists, and one of them having some strong name recognition due to heavy MTV airplay (and a well-publicized controversy about an arson-based music video banned by the same network), Mammoth seemed like a good target for Disney.
Under the sea
Under the sea
During 1997, Mammoth executives were offered several buyout offers by Disney, but these were rejected for various reasons, mostly having to deal with artist's rights. This stance by Mammoth was aided by the Zippers, who were releasing and recording records at a fervent pace.
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Two albums, Perennial Favorites and Christmas Caravan, were recorded in 1997 by the Zippers, as well as two EP's: Sold Out and Roasted Right, although the albums wouldn't see release until the following year. Mammoth supported their successful artist in this case, refusing throughout 1997 to sell to the mouse.
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
As 1998 dawned, Disney began to take a different approach in dealing with Mammoth: they began to offer a series of very specific deals in which Mammoth artists would perform on Disney label recordings. Initially, the agreements revolved around specific appearances of Mammoth artists on soundtracks, which Mammoth found to be agreeable to their tastes, but these agreements would grow over time into something much different...
While we devotin'
Full time to floatin'
Under the sea
Act 3: Some Obstacles Overcome, More Introduced
Several Mammoth artists began to appear on Disney soundtracks and other compilations in 1998, but the Squirrel Nut Zippers were noticeably absent from this trend. The group had repeatedly refused several offers from Disney to appear on soundtracks, preferring to remain in their state of relative obscurity.
Down here all the fish is happy
As off through the waves they roll
However, as 1998 neared an end, Disney finally made an enormous offer to purchase Mammoth Records, and the label couldn't refuse this one. In November 1998, Mammoth Records was sold to Disney in a deal that was to be finalized on March 30, 1999.
The fish on the land ain't happy
They sad 'cause they in their bowl
Part of the agreement was the delivery of a song by the Squirrel Nut Zippers for the soundtrack of the tenth anniversary theatrical re-release of The Little Mermaid, which came out in the spring of 1999 (in order to avoid competing with Disney's big summer release, Tarzan).
But fish in the bowl is lucky
They in for a worser fate
The Zippers went along with this, and in late 1998 recorded a wonderful version of Under the Sea in their distinctive style. The music was somewhat more subdued, but it featured a strong string section as well as Katherine Whalen's distinctive vocals. The track evoked a strong sense of earlier times, as many of the Zippers' best songs did.
One day when the boss get hungry
Guess who's gon' be on the plate
However, the real conflict was about to begin.
Act 4: The Villain Makes A Move
Under the sea
Under the sea
In conjunction with this song, Disney was planning a major marketing promotion featuring the Squirrel Nut Zippers in full Little Mermaid-style regalia. The likeness of the group was going to be used on the album soundtrack, the video was going to be pushed into heavy play on both MTV and The Disney Channel, and perhaps most disturbing of all, the band was going to appear on drink cups at McDonald's.
Nobody beat us
Fry us and eat us
In fricassee
The deal with Mammoth was structured as thus: the band was required to produce a single by February 1, 1999 for use in promotion of the film, with delivery of an accompanying video on March 20, 1999. When the Mammoth takeover was complete on March 30, 1999, the label would then have permission to begin promoting the band's likeness and imagery along with the film.
We what the land folks loves to cook
Under the sea we off the hook
Obviously, the group was appalled at this. The first response by the group was a music video that I would someday truly love to see. It featured the band dressed in a motif much like The King and I. It featured a happy fish swimming around in the ocean, until it was caught on a hook with a bundle of money attached to it. Once the fish was caught, the band put the fish in an aquarium and began to prepare a fire over which to cook the fish. But the fish began to grow, and the music video ended with the band running in fear of the fish, eventually being devoured whole by it.
We got no troubles
Life is the bubbles
Under the sea
Disney saw the video and clearly got the message. The video, which cost $80,000 to make, was discarded and copies of it were destroyed (supposedly the only existing copy exists in the closet of band member Jim Mathus). But Disney was not yet deterred: they produced their own video, using clips from the film itself, and planned to promote the group anyway.
Under the sea
Since life is sweet here
We got the beat here
Naturally
The band, however, had one final trick up their sleeve: the remaining management at Mammoth Records remained very sympathetic to their cause. So, as a last resort, the band turned to the management and worked out an arrangement that both the band and the remaining Mammoth management found palatable.
Even the sturgeon an' the ray
They get the urge 'n' start to play
The agreement basically forbids the owners of Mammoth Recordings from using the name Squirrel Nut Zippers or the likenesses of the band members for any purpose without express written consent of the band, with a transfer clause indicating that the terms of the agreement would apply to any future owners of the assets of Mammoth Records.
We got the spirit
You got to hear it
Under the sea
Act 5: The Big Finish
When Disney found out about this, they were livid. The company had already printed the film with the Zippers' version of Under the Sea over the closing credits, as well as the design and pre-production of a wide variety of Little Mermaid marketing material that the Squirrel Nut Zippers could veto at will.
The newt play the flute
The carp play the harp
The plaice play the bass
And they soundin' sharp
Rather than giving the band the chance to do that, the song was removed from the film, and all mention of the band was removed from further promotional material. I remember being very confused in the spring of 1999 when I attended The Little Mermaid and sat through the whole closing credits, waiting to hear a version of Under the Sea that never came.
The bass play the brass
The chub play the tub
The fluke is the duke of soul
Yeah
Furthermore, Disney was caught in the sticky situation of having a very successful band that they had no interest whatsoever in promoting. The band's last album had hit the top ten, and the album before that went platinum. So, what is a monster company to do in a situation like this? Crush the artist!
The ray he can play
The lings on the strings
The trout rockin' out
The blackfish she sings
The band received no promotion whatsoever for their most recent studio album, Bedlam Ballroom, and it just barely managed to crack the top one hundred. The group is under contract with Mammoth for another three albums, so their most likely destiny is to release albums that aren't widely known or distributed, then be dropped from the label.
The smelt and the sprat
They know where it's at
An' oh that blowfish blow
Epilogue: Everyone Gets What They Want (Or Do They?)
But, oddly enough, this is a happy ending of sorts.
Under the sea
Under the sea
The band members themselves got what they wanted out of the whole situation -- they aren't widely famous, but yet they have the means to focus most of the rest of their lives on their true passions: performing live music. The band has already began several side projects, including James Mathus and his Knockdown Society, Katherine Whalen's Jazz Squad, and Tom Maxwell's own solo album.
Interestingly enough, Katherine's band has signed to the Disney-owned Mammoth, as she was known to be the least opposed member of the group to working with Disney.
When the sardine
Begin the beguine
It's music to me
The group members have also appeared on several other projects, including some fantastic work with the Tex-Mex group Bio Ritmo and Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire.
What do they got?
A lot of sand
We got a hot crustacean band
Disney also has turned this into a bit of a winning hand. In 2002, the label finally released the song Under the Sea performed by the Squirrel Nut Zippers; it appears on their greatest hits compilation (which is a solid selection of songs, but is missing so many essential pieces that one should start at the beginning of their discography anyway).
Each little clam here
know how to jam here
Under the sea
As of now, there are no plans in the works for any new music from the Squirrel Nut Zippers, although you can find the band playing live regularly in the North Carolina area, as well as many of their side projects. Will there be more recorded works from the band? It's hard to tell.
Each little slug here
Cuttin' a rug here
Under the sea
So what's the moral of the story? I'd take it to mean that if you play your hand to win every time, things will probably turn out all right for you. In other words, don't sell out even if it's the easiest thing to do.
Each little snail here
Know how to wail here
That's why it's hotter
Under the water
Ya we in luck here
Down in the muck here
Under the sea