npr:
February 27, 2012
Producer and director Reginald Hudlin is one of the few African-American voting members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Hudlin is also a father. He shares the songs he listens to with his kids, as part of Tell Me More's series 'In Your Ear.'
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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
And we are going to stay in Hollywood for this edition of the feature we call In Your Ear. That's where we ask some of our guests to share the songs that keep them jamming.
Today we hear from filmmaker Reginald Hudlin. He is a producer and director. He's also one of the few African-American voting members of the American Academy Awards. And there's a bit of Oscar flavor to his playlist. Here it is.
REGINALD HUDLIN: Hi, I'm Reginald Hudlin and I'm a motion picture producer and director. And right now I'm In Your Ear, and I'm talking about music for the Oscars, specifically nominees for Best Song. And this year there was an actual musical made, which is "The Muppets." And "The Muppets" had a lot of great songs in it and one of the songs that was nominated called "Man or Muppet," which is a very clever song, but I think the Academy got it wrong this time. I have to be honest. The song I thought was spectacular in that movie is "Life's A Happy Song."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LIFE'S A HAPPY SONG")
PETER LINZ AND JASON SEGEL, ACTORS: (as Walter and Gary) (Singing) Everything is great, everything is grand. I got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand. Everything is perfect it's falling into place. I can't seem to wipe this smile off my face.
PETER LINZ AND JASON SEGEL: (as Walter and Gary) (Singing) Life's a happy song when there's someone by my side to sing along. When you're alone...
HUDLIN: "Life's A Happy Song" is so inspiring. The main of vocal hook, which is I've got everything that I need right in front of me. That's exactly what I want my kids to be singing to themselves and take to heart.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LIFE'S A HAPPY SONG")
SEGEL: (as Walter and Gary) (Singing) I've got everything that I need right in front of me. Nothing's stopping me, nothing that I can't be when you're right here next to me.
HUDLIN: I played for them on the way to school in the morning. In fact, one of the reasons why the kids were sort of primed for the Muppet movie is because of Harry Belafonte. Now you go well, what does Harry Belafonte have to do with the Muppets? Well, an album I grew up with as a child was "Harry Belafonte Live at Carnegie Hall." And I wanted to play the kids" The Banana Boat Song."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE BANANA BOAT SONG")
HARRY BELAFONTE: (Singing) Day-o, Day-ay-ay-o. Daylight come and me wan' go home. Day, me say day, me say day, me say day. Me say day, me say day-ay-ay-o. Daylight come and me wan' go home.
(Singing) Work all night on a drink a' rum. Daylight come and me wan' go home...
HUDLIN: Amazingly enough, the first time that Harry Belafonte did "The Banana Boat Song" on television was his appearance on "The Muppet Show.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE BANANA BOAT SONG")
BELAFONTE: (Singing) Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana. Daylight come and me wan' go home
HUDLIN: So I show my kids "The Banana Boat Song" with their laughing the Muppets. They're laughing. They're loving the song. So now they're into Harry Belafonte. So all I've got to do is wait for another 10 or 15 years and I can show them the documentary "Hear My Song" so they can learn what else Harry Belafonte did. But I love that they can listen to "Life's A Happy Song" and "The Banana Boat Song" and they're hearing some great music and they also have this weird thematic connection.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE BANANA BOAT SONG")
BELAFONTE: (Singing) Daylight come and me wan' go home. Hide the deadly black tarantula. Daylight come and me wan' go home. It's six-foot...
HUDLIN: Now for some reason when I was listening to "Life's A Happy Song," it made me think of an old Stevie Wonder song. Not a hit record, but something deep in his vast and diverse catalog. A song called "Take Up A Course In Happiness."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TAKE UP A COURSE IN HAPPINESS")
STEVIE WONDER: (Singing) When life reaches out and takes you on an unpleasant ride. And your bridge of dreams comes tumblin' down. Mm-hmm.
HUDLIN: "Take Up A Course of(ph) Happiness" is a really fun little pop song, really not something you would associate with Stevie Wonder. But it kind of sounds like "Life's A Happy Song." So I play "The Banana Boat Song." I play "Life's A Happy Song." Then I segue into the Stevie. And my kids love this song. And they're singing along with Stevie, take a course in happiness. And you've got three great songs, which are kid-friendly, but most importantly parent-friendly. Because, like a lot of parents, I can't stand kids music, but I love adult music that kids can groove to. So those are three songs you can rock for your kids as you're dropping them off to school. And even when the kids get out you can keep playing it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TAKE UP A COURSE IN HAPPINESS")
WONDER: (Singing) Take up a course in happiness. Take up a course to clear out your mind.
MARTIN: That was filmmaker Reginald Hudlin telling us what's playing in his ear.
